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T-26 tank M1937 restoration step 1

According to production reports there was 11 218 pieces of T-26 produced, but there was many differences upon production period from begining to the end, starting from riveted hull, changing double turret to one, straight upperstructure to angled armor called “cone-form”, and cone-form turret to the end of production.

this specimen came blown up from Stalingrad area with most pieces from one tank, rest needed was aqured all over ex USSR to complete tank to its original shape.

T-26 tank right wall of upperstructure, visor slit of driver still visible, T-26 was a right hand driven tank, as its predecessor is Vickers 6 ton British tank.

Turret roof of T-26 tank back, on this picture we can see two of them one above other, the roof which is under is from more early tank with antenna outline.

T-26 enigne deck rear side with small hatch

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Suspension carriages, T-26 tanks has leaf spring supension with wheels of 2 main types, all gum wheel as visible on photo 3 on right side was early type wheel, and another wheels with less gum and bolts are late type wheels, closer to war even most early tanks had new-model wheels during repais and tuning.

T-26 tank main sprocket wheel covers, hub covers, on the right original paint still well visible, after re-coloring we got color on the left.

whole tank is painted with this color, very same to red army helmets of early ww2 period

Armored head lamp hatch for soviet tank, T-26 and also giant T-35 tank had same one(2 of them), this foldable head lamp armored pocket was used to prevent the tank torch durigng the battle, same idea was in Wehrmacht with early pz.kpfw III, and stug -3 up to model F with their pockets for lights with front covers.

Big lid on a crew compartment roof of T-26 tank is not a fuel fill one, this is air vent hatch